If you bid on domain name auctions at GoDaddy.com, I would think by now that you have noticed the redesign of the domain name auction page. This redesign took place a little while ago but I wanted to use it for a little while before I wrote about it. Why? Because when something changes, your likely first reaction is to not like it due to the simple fact that you are not familiar with it.
Well, I hated it at first as I assume many did. I couldn’t even find my "watched" domains. I felt lost!
I never really used the search functions on the site because several services like FreshDrop.net offer so many more stats, it was just not worth it. Well, FreshDrop is still king of metrics but GoDaddy is king of search options that other services like NameJet, SnapNames, Sedo, Afternic and Pool need to take note of.
Here is the overall redesign of the domain name auction page at GoDaddy
Navigation Tabs
The old design had the major functions on the left side of the screen. Most sites do really, but with the new design, GoDaddy has went to the right of the screen for search and to the top for general navigation.
Just above the Featured Domains you will find your main navigation tabs. This is where you will find link locations for domain names you are watching, bidding on, won etc. They are displayed via a drop down box as pictured above. You can also find domain names you have listed, that sold, didn’t sell etc. Saved Searches is another tab and general Settings is the final one. Out of the four tabs, I use the "Bidding List" tab the most. It did take me a little bit to find those tabs but now that I am aware of them and what they hold.. it makes it easy to find what I am looking for.
Search Function
Since I didn’t really use the search functions all that much on the old design, it is hard for me to compare what is new or not. Some functions actually may not be new now but improved.
# of Bids ~ This feature is often offered by most services but GoDaddy offers what I think is a little better function than most. They allow you to search several ways based on bid amounts. You can select a specific number or a range. If you wish to only see domain names that have 1 bid, you can do that. It uses the More Than, Exactly or Less Than method. This is a nice option and I would think most would use More Than 1. Domains with bids are often the goodies.
Keywords ~ This is pretty basic and just about every domain search function has it. Begins with, Contains or Ends with are the options and then you enter in your keywords. Example, Begins With + Money for the keyword would display domain names that start with Money.
Characters ~ Again, pretty common function but GoDaddy adds a little extra spice near the end of the function.
You are allowed to pick a pattern like CVCV, VCVC etc. You can even select N for numbers. I know they had this function before, but this is a new layout of the function. Great function for 4 letter and number domain name lovers.
Price ~ Pretty well described. Allows you to select a price range you wish to search in.
Attributes ~ This function really allows you redefine your search by only seeing the "type" of listings like Buy It Now, Website, On Sale etc. as well as a category (sports, shopping).
Traffic ~ This is very similar the the # of Bids option but pertains to the amount of traffic GoDaddy is displaying for a specific domain name. Theses "traffic" numbers should always be taken with a grain of salt, but it is nice to be able to search based on specific traffic numbers. I’m sure a lot of people will like this search function.
Ending In ~ Another basic function but useful. This allows you to see domain names based upon when the auction ends. You have the option to choose from 0-10, as expired domain name auctions last 10 days. Using 0 will display only domain names that are ending the day you are doing the search.
Type ~ Is the function that allows you to see what "kind" of auctions. Expired, Member Listed (public auction), Offer/Counter offer, Closeouts etc. I normally only search two and those include Expired and Closeouts. Expired is just that, expired domain name auctions. Closeouts are expired domain name auctions that didn’t receive bids during an expired auction and the price is reduced with a Buy It Now. The BIN price drops (lowers) each day and will last for 5 days unless somebody uses the BIN during that time. Closeouts that do not get bids "should" going Pending Delete overtime.
Extensions ~ These are the TLD’s. You can select to only see .com domains or only .net domains or any combination you wish.
Overall
With any redesign, you want to "Improve" and I think GoDaddy has done this. It took me a little bit to get use to the four tabs being above the Featured Domains, but I can understand why GoDaddy moved those tabs to where they did. (featured domains get more attention). With the drop down boxes, it cleans things up a little more.
The search functions IMO are some of the best offered by a major service. Yes, FreshDrop offers better and more functions but that also comes at a cost! GoDaddy is offering a nice selection of search functions that are useful and give advantages to those who use them!
I hope this breakdown helped you in some way and allows you to better use the tools provided for GoDaddy.com Auctions.
I was clicking the wrong closeout.
Wow Jamie….I disagree.
I think this is the worst update GD has ever done.
You can’t read the domains in you Watch List because they are truncated. That also means if you want to pull you list to work it you have to scroll over your domains to get the box that shows your domain and then go to excel, email, or whereever and fill them in one at a time.
The traffic is still not shown on the Watch List…you stillhave to click though to each and every damn one of them.
The number of domains per page shown does not stick after doing a search…it reverts back to the old number.
The Saved Searches feature does not work unless you expand the list to 500 listings per page because it is a drop list that must go past the set amount of listings per page….if not set to 500 it won’t work usually.
The page is SO DAMAN SLOW to go back and forth!!!!!!!!!!
You must remove the word “Keyword” from the keyword option to do a search. Like we need to be told that a keyword needs to go into the keyword bar….WTF!!!
I could go on and on…..but this update was the biggest cluster fu*k GoDaddy could have ever done!!!
TOTAL SH*T ….IMHO.
July 16th, 2010